


Rocky Start

by AgentFrostbite



Series: Chronicles of The Lost [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Getting Lost, Lightning Team, Strike Team, Strike Team Shenanagins, These two will be a great duo once they stop bickering with each other, disaster duo, learning to get along, team arguments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:00:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24259288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentFrostbite/pseuds/AgentFrostbite
Summary: The mission would go so much smoother if he'd just stop whining or pull up a map.
Series: Chronicles of The Lost [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1751185
Kudos: 6





	Rocky Start

**Author's Note:**

> Team timeline: Set between chapters 1 and 2 of The Strike Team.

"I told you it'd be easier to just take the main road."

Nikki Skylar only barely avoided fixing her partner with a furious glare. They'd had the argument three times since they lost track of the actual, defined road to the HYDRA compound they were meant to be reconnoitering. "They were expecting us on the main road!" she protested again. "They'd have ambushed us in minutes, and we'd be in jail cells right now."

"Lemme tell you, I'd _much_ rather be in a jail cell than off-roading in this hunk of junk," he snapped back, directing his red-eyed glare at the window. If looks could kill, everything in the forest around them would've withered and died, and that might actually solve the problem.

They were both angry about the situation, so where Nikki would normally handle her frustration with tact and disarm her partner's temper, she was barely keeping a lid on her own. "Next time, you can go in the front, I'll go in the back, and I'll laugh when I'm freeing you."

"Or I'll laugh when I do the mission all by myself and reign triumphant when I come collect you from whatever backroad you've gotten yourself lost on."

"Deal."

There were few things they did better than undercut each other. Despite the fact that they were a dream team on paper, the missions remained a bit patchwork, often comprised of a dozen little arguments. Sometimes they got off the plane, had a fight, and refused to talk to each other the entire time. Only repeated highlights from Tony, Steve, Jan, and Clint reminded them that it took cooperation and mutual agreement on making it work. So after another four minutes of silent off-roading, Laserbeak extended something of an olive branch.

"And we didn't think to bring a map?" The weariness in his voice was more from mental fatigue than any physical exhaustion. Actually, Nikki still hadn't seen him get physically exhausted, so she was still doing her best not to show any weakness in front of him, either.

"You _are_ a map; you have access to all of SHIELD's files and the entire internet," she pointed out. There was a half-pause in his tone.

"Well...maybe I don't-" He started, then stopped.

"What? Want to?" Nikki looked over, in a much better mood, and saw the hesitance written all over him. A quick glance back to the road confirmed for her their position, so she looked back to him. He still looked pensive, and she got concerned. "Seriously, Laser, is something wrong?"

"Firstly, don't call me Laser," he chided, annoyed, looking over at her. Once they made eye contact, she looked back to the road.

"Not gonna happen," she replied. "Secondly?"

"I maybe..." He huffed in frustration. "Okay, Cybertron had an extensive network of satellites to bounce signals off of, and I don't have access to a similar network here-"

"You're _out of wi-fi range_?" she asked incredulously. Upon receiving no answer, she grinned and wheezed, failing at completely suppressing her laughter.

"Shut up," he growled murderously.

"Hey, I'm not laughing!" she defended, though the tone of her voice and her general demeanor about the situation undermined her argument.

"You're trying not to," he corrected, slightly more patient with her humor. "And partially failing."

"I tell you what: when we get home, I'll get you patched into JARVIS' network – it's way better than anything else out there," she compromised, finally succeeding at tamping down her mirth and amusement with the whole scenario.

"Assuming we survive the wilderness," he grumped. She didn't answer that comment. They hit either a root or a rock at a little faster of a speed than recommended, and as they went up, they saw the outline of something gray through the leaves.

"What's that up ahead?" she asked, half asking him. They leaned in.

"Don't tell me-" he started, but she whooped and cut him off.

"Ha!" she exclaimed triumphantly. "I told you I'd find it!"

"Luck," he dismissed unhappily, but the fact of the matter was that she'd been right, and she wasn't letting it go anytime soon.

"My whole body is a compass."

"If you _ever_ quote that commercial again, I will _end_ you," he threatened. and though she laughed joyously as they parked just out of sight of the surveillance turrets, she knew he probably wasn't joking about that.

Yet.


End file.
